3 thoughts on “Helicopter parents”

It seems that the article starts by about talking about overprotectiveness and then shifts into hyperscheduling/expecting your child to be the best at everything syndrom as if they are the same thing. Then it goes back to overprotectiveness. I would argue that they are two entirely different things, and that with both cases, balance is key. In fact, I would wonder whether parents who overschedule their children would be the opposite extreme of overprotective, because they are always leaving them with different people in different settings. I don’t see how a truly overprotective parent could handle that. A really overprotective parent might never want to give their child opportunities because it might mean they couldn’t always be there to guarantee the outcome. I’ve always thought of parents who hyperschedule their children as parents who don’t really care about the relationship with their kids, and not be terribly concerned about their whereabouts or safety either. Anyway, extremes either way are generally to be avoided. Oswald Chambers said that it is always easier to take an extreme position than to constantly struggle to walk the balanced line in the middle because to be on an extreme you don’t have to think (not in those exact words but that was the gyst). Also, thought it was interesting that the author complained about the overprotective parents not giving the H1N1 vaccine, when it is likely most of the freerange parents who are not giving it. I think he missed the demographic there. The article does give some food for thought, and a good reminder that kids need to fall as well as be picked up. Just my thoughts.